Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1887-12-08
A QUAINT OLD TOWN.
MULlET AND OTHER INDICATIONS
OF THE FISHING INTEREST.

Crew of Schooner on a SEEMING Expe-
dition-A School of MuIlet-A Good
Catch-Dividing the Fish into Shares.
Luck.
Beaufort is quaint old town, or sort of
southern Nantucket, containing many relics
of colonial times, odorous of mullet and other
olfactory indications of the fishing interest.
1t has been somewhat left behind ia the
march of modern progress and cut off from
the rest of the world, the terminus of the rail-
road being at Morehead City, two miles off
across the sound. Morehead is a place, COM
paratively speaking, of yesterday, is more
pretentious, having modern hotel-the At
lantic-capable of accommodating 400 or 800
guests, and of slowing away as many as 500
Fishing, upon which the greater part of
the community live, is a very interesting
matter quite worth examination in the in
terest of which we obtain permission to join
the crew of a schooner on a seining expedi-
tion. We turn out at 4:30 a. m, and by the
light OF the paling stars and Frightening
dawn, get into "yawl boat" and pull out to
the schooner, which is just getting under
way. She tows two "seine boats" the roomy
proportions and strong build of which are in
striking contrast to the fine lines of the
sharpies. The schooner is manned by
skipper, three hands and cook The fishing
crew consists of six men. They are all
negroes but one-a white man who commands
the entire expedition.
A fresh southerly breeze is blowing; the
anchor is weighed and we are soon beating
out of the sound toward the open sea. By
this time it is broad daylight; the cook, who
has been busy in the galley, arranges plates,
cups, knives and forks on the cabin hatch,
which forms an excellent table. Accepting
an invitation to join the banquet, we con-
tribute thereto the contents of our lunch
basket. The meal consists of good hot bis
cults, fried pork, and what we at first sup
posed to be coffee, but which turns out to be
mixture of hot water and molasses. If this
liquid were served at the hotel table we should
probably reject it, but somehow, under the
present circumstances, its flavor, though
novel, is not unpalatable
A SCHOOL OF MULLET.
Breakfast over, pipes are lighted, and one
OF the hands goes aloft to look out for a school
OF mullet. Just as the sun is rising over the
banks to the eastward, he sings out, "School
on the weather bowl" The effect is galvanic.
The helm is jammed hard a-lea: the little
craft flies round; the fishing crew tumble
over the stern into the boats, and stand by,
ready to cast off when the word is given In
a little while we are up with the fish: the
painter is let go; the boats propelled by long
oars and strong arms, separate; the long
seine is rapidly paid out, and they cautiously
approach the school, In few minutes they
are on its edge, and then begins the delicate
business of inclosing it. The mullet dart
about and leap out of the water; but they
don't know exactly which way to go, and
huddle together-a fatal instinct for them.
Slowly, but surely, each boat describes a
semicircle, having the luckless fish securely
The next process is that of "pursing,n or
drawing the lower part of the net together so
that they can be ladled out with the hand
nets, fitted with rings about twenty inches in
at the end of long poles. This
operation accomplished, the schooner is hailed
and ranges up alongside. Now comes the
hard work. The pole nets are distributed,
and the fish are dipped out of the "purse"
and transferred to the hold of the schooner.
which is fitted especially for the purpose If
it is good catch, from &c, 900 to 10000 null
let are safely slowed the seine is replaced in
the boats and we bear up for home On ar
rival the fish are ladled out on the wharf and
divided into shares, according to the number
of the crew and the amount of investment
each may have. The days work entities to
one share, or "sher," in the vernacular. If
capital is invested, the "shers" are arranged
pro rata.
MAKING THE DIVISION.
4 = 1 L
pile of Ssh representing "sher." When it is
completed the crew form a line, with their
backs to the heaps, to avoid all possibility of |
and the captain takes pole, and, |
one of the heaps, asks, who'll have |
ibis sher" Il WILL" sings out somebody. |
'Jem's sher. Come and take it, Jem." The |
process is repeated until Tom, Jack, Bob and |
all have their "shers." The portion belonging |
% the owners of the schooner, boats and seine |
S taken to them; and this completes the day. |
The men get their rations while out, but no |
pay, and are well content to take their
chances of catch. A day of good luck
and they are in the majority-will make the
minimum earning-one share-worth about |
i've dollars But while the hauls are gener-
lily good, there are exceptions. Sometimes !
he catch is light and sometimes they will |
,ruise all day without sighting fish.
These occasions bring out the native good |
emper of the negro. An English crew, at
he end of such a days fruitless labor, would
)e in a frame of mind certainly not Chris
ian; but which would, nevertheless, find
most probable expression in what the late
fr. Charles Reade calls "scriptural terms"
The darky takes his disappointment differ
ntly, turning it into joke and being almost
IS light hearted and full OF fun over an empty
lold as with boat full of t'shers." Nearly
very description of salt water fish is caught
n these waters-shad, bluefsh, mackerel and
great variety with local names. This is the
eason for mullet They are seined by tens of
brought TO the wharves, cleaned,
orned, packed into barrels and shipped
way, usually within few hours. The kegs
ontain a hundred pounds of fish, net; the
ross weight of each being about 145 pounds
The principal market is Raleigh and other in
and towns of the state.-Beaufort On. c.
cor. Boston Transcript.
No Ear for Music.
Sister Clara fpractjcing at the piano)- |